Merchandise dispenser



MERCHANDISE DISPENSER Filed Feb. 9, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l CXZGZA l 5 5f my mg 28 W O z W,\ H a 3?;

a P Q Q 3/ I 3/ E z JNVENTORS Y W 7525. m/vc ATTOE/VL'KS Jan 10, 1959 L. c. KLEMM ET AL 2,493,976

MERCHANDISE DISPENSER Filed Feb. 9, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR 5 LAWNC c KAEMM .2 WAL TEE 5 KING y WW Patented Jan. 10, 1950 MERGHANDISE rDISPENSER iLawrenceiC. 'Klemm and Walter E.:Kin Ash- -'land, Ohio :ApplicatiomFehruary 9, 1948,:SeriaLNo. 3!;111

3'Cla'ims.

This invention relates todispensing apparatus, and, more particularly, to apparatus jilor dispensing articles or packages of known size and weight.

The principal object of the inventionisto provide a dispenser that displays the articles subistan'tially in'their entirety and facilitates removal of the articles by the consumer. This is accomplished by formingithe dispensing apparatus so .that'the displayed article merely rests on a platform and is not wedgedbetweenthe remaining ar- L ticles, the arrangement being such that as soon as'the displayed article is removeda new onetakes its place. 7

.Another object residesin-utilization of-gravity "to operate'the dispenser wherein-the:artioles-are stored below, and not above-thedispenser delivery point.

Another .object resides "in providing "a gravity dispenser thatis readiiyloaded in "the-same place that itis unloaded by the consumer.

A further 'ohject resides in facilitating "adjustment of the apparatus for both the weight and *height'of the articles to lee-dispensed. These-and other objects characteristic of the invention :will

be apparent to 'those skilledin-the art'as the following detaileddescription-of a preferred embodimentproceeds. I

-In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionithrough thaappara- 'tus when it is completely filled;

Fig. 2-is a similar view with one article removed;

Eigj3 is a similar-view with all articlesremoved except two;

'Fig. 4 is a similar view withall articles removed except the last one; and

Fig.5 is a .transversesection taken :on -55 of Fig. 4.

For'convenience of illustration, I have disclosed a dispenser [that contains seven articles when 'Iully loaded, although it is understood 'tha'thy lengthening'the .devicezanyrdesired number of ,arati'cles .within reason I may be 2 accommodated.

The dispenser, in apreferred."embodiment, .ineludes a sheet .metal housing H :which has 1 two vertical compartments, compartment I forthe *dispensed articleszand compartment.Z for the bal- :ancing weights. 'TherplatformP is disposed in "compartment! andirides vertically in armeans of suitable carriage and track means. guide, is .formed by s an ;intermediate, generally .C-shaped ;sheet .metal "No. 10, having terminal "flanges vl I. :[The :platform J includes a marriage .havingverticaleside; members l3 joined rhyi'transverseeross .pie.ces M and Ella. -Upper rollers .16

and @lower rollers [.TfiIQQIQYidGd, andin order to reduce friction, I.. may offset 'therollers, so that .the .upper .set engages flanges 11, whereas the lower set engages theopposite wall of channel In, which reduces the vinfliction lforces involved.- ".The flange l8,. integral with thesplatformyis attached bysuitable means to'the upper crosspiece'fkan'd a circular platform .[9 supports the articles. I may provide a guiding ring'2l toicenterthe'lower article M7. EarsZZ may-be. struck'from channel .10 to provide pivotal support for aguide pulley 2'3. Depending flanges 24 ;may be attached "to cap C to .provi'de pivotal supportfor a second guidepul- Rey 26. :Flexible tension "means, "such as cord, ehain, wireor'cable;2-I is rove-overthe pulleys-and attached at one end -to the carriage-and at the other end to the lowermost'weig'ht Ws.

In addition to weight wm-a plurality of counterbalance weights W1, WZfWSQWi, and-W5, are pro- "vided, the uppermost weight,"W1,' being suspended by-fieXible-nreans"2'8 such as chains or cables. As seenin Fig. '5, *1 -may provide three members 28, 'but'itis to be understood thatin Figs. 1 to-4,- only "twoare shown in the interests of clarity. All but the lowest-weights are 'apertured as at 361 to -'accommodate *freely a master tension means 2-1. Each "of the weightsunderlying the uppermost weight "-Wfiis suspended from the weight above it by' means of'intermediate cables or tensionmean's 28 and 2-9. I may provide a platform 3! "upon whichthe lowerw-eight -rests-when 'the carriage 'i-s "atits uppermost-position. :Stop means S.may be provided *toflimi-t'the free vertical travel of the uppermost weight wi.

lt isto'be note'd that lf mayhave'one less'weight than the-number ofxarticles to be dispensed. The lowermost weight We is preferably equal -.to the weight of *the :carriage and platf'orm assembly, :plus a weight equivalentito more than I and-less "than :Zrof the-'dispensed articles. lForrexample, *if cannedgoods: are being dispensed (aslillustrated 1m Zthe drawings), the lower :weight might equal :thezweight #ofithe :carriage' plusithe .weight. of 11' pans-10f goodsi "flhe -;r.emaining aveig'hts are aptproxhnatelyzequalfio :the-zweightvof :arcorrespond- Ting:dispensedzarticlegand:thexdistancetD between the weights and between the upper wveight -rand 'ithe iStQD is :;is :equal etc *the .rheight hot :the :corre- 1The'7t1fack,:0 r .sponding -.article {to the .cdi'spensed, plus any addi- 11, whiehiin 'thiszformrmeanstthatneven jeans supported by the flexible tension means 21. V result is that the platform will be urged to its are supported by platform P. The seven cans are partially counterbalanced by weights W1 to We. Weights W1 to We total the weight of five cans and We adds the weight of 1 cans plus that of the carriage. In the remainder of the discussion, the weight of the carriage will be ignored because it is counterbalanced by an additional mass in the weight We.

Thus, in effect, we have seven cans on the platform and a weight corresponding to 6 cans, The

lowermost position by the cans. As can M1 is removed, an unbalance in favor of the weights that point, the apparatus may be readily concealed in a cabinet shelf or the like.

raise the platform. As seen in Fig. 2, when i the weights have dropped to the point where tension means 28 support the upper weight W1,

the platform has moved up the corresponding distance which is equal to the height of the can Me. Now tension means 21 is relieved of the weight of W1 and there remains suspended by tension means 21 a weight equivalent to 5 /2 cans, which is more than counterbalanced by the 6 cans on the platform. The platform can rise no higher under action of the weights because the unbalanced weight supported by tension means 21 is less than the weight of the six cans on the platform. Nor can the weight of the cans carry the platform lower because to do so it would have to lift the weight W1 which would cause the total effect of the weights to exceed that of the remaining cans. Accordingly, the device will assume the position shown in Fig. 2 until another can is removed.

The process just described takes place as each can is removed, and, as shown in Fig. 3, when two cans remain, weights W1, W2, W3, W4, and W5 are all suspended from the cap C. Weight We is suspended from the tension means 21, but since it is approximately equal to the weight of 1 cans it cannot lift two cans and so raise the platform from the position shown. Nor can the two cans cause the platform todrop from the position shown because to do so would require lifting of weight We, which, added to the weight of We, would be equivalent to 2%; cans.

Now, as seen in Fig. 4, as the next to the last can Me is removed, weight We must only counterbalance the weight of the last can M7. Since We equals the weight of 1 /2 cans it will lift the remaining can and drop until it rests against the stop 3 l. Under these circumstances, the last can M7 will be displayed ready for removal as seen in Fig. 4.

It will be understood from the following 'description that the weight We, which has been assumed to include that of 1% cans, can conceivably be in the range of more than the weight of one to somewhat less than the weight of two cans, not considering the weight of the carriage. This provides a certain amount of leeway and permits accommodation to be made for static friction in the parts as well as the weight of tension means 21.

The mass of the various weights can be selected to equal that of a corresponding dispensed article. Either different weights may be used, or small auxiliary weights attached as is well known in the art. The length of the tension means 28 and 29 is adjusted for the corresponding height of the dispensed article. Any suitable means Although I have illustrated a construction that embodies the invention, it is understood that numerous mechanical changes could be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the mode of operation described. Accordingly, I contemplate that the appended claims, and not the aforesaid embodiment, be the measure of the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Dispensing apparatus for discrete articles of predetermined height and weight comprising vertical framework means, platform means mounted for vertical reciprocation in said framework means, an upper weight and one or more underlying weights, means suspending each of said underlying weights from the weight above it, said suspending means being arranged to provide a predetermined free vertical reciprocation between each underlying weight and the weight above it, means suspending said upper weight from said framework arranged to provide a predetermined free vertical reciprocation of said weight, guide means carried by said framework above said upper weight, and flexible tension means running over said guide and attached at one end to the lowest of said weights and at the other end to said platform means, theweights above said lower weight being slidable relative to said tension means, all of said weights except the lower weight being equal to one another and to the weight of an article to be dispensed, the lower weight equaling the total weight of the carriage, an upper weight, and a fraction of an upper weight less than one.

2. Dispensing apparatus for discrete articles of predetermined height and weight comprising vertical framework means, platform means mounted for vertical reciprocation in said framework means, an upper weight and one or more underlying weigh-ts, flexible tension means suspending each of said underlying weights from the weight above it and suspending said upper weight from said framework, guide means car ried by said framework above said upper weight, and flexible tension means running over said guide and attached at one end to the lowest of said weights and at the other end to said platform means the weights above said lower weight being equal to the weight of an article to be dispensed and being slidable relative to said tension means.

3. Dispensing apparatus for discrete articles of predetermined height and weight comprising a framework including a pair of parallel vertical generally tubular elements, a track parallel" to said tubular elements, platform means in one of said elements, said platform means including a carriage reciprocable in said track, an upper weight and one or more underlying weights disposed in the other of said tubular elements,

flexible tension means suspending each of said underlying weights from the weight above it and REFERENCES CITED suspending said upper weight from said frame- The following references are of record in the work, guide means carried by said framework fi Of this P above said upper weight, and flexible tension 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS means running over said guide means and attached at one end to the lowest of said weights Number Name Date and at the other end to said platform means. 1,886,694 Kelly Nov. 8. 1932 LAWRENCE C. KIEMM. 2,251,875 Gibbs Aug. 5, 1941 WALTER E. KING. 10 2,397,403 Bishop Mar. 26, 1947 

